The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater Review

4.8 out of 5 stars

So, I had heard of Maggie Stiefvater and her Shiver series (which I haven’t read), but I hadn’t heard of The Scorpio Races. A friend told me it was her favorite book, so of course I had to give it a try.

Though maybe not my favorite book, it is definitely high up on my list.

Oh, and one more thing: I basically read the entire thing last night, so it’s pretty much all I’ve been thinking about.

The Scorpio Races tells the story of Sean Kendrick and Puck Connolly, and boy and a girl on a small island with a strange pastime. Each year, in the month of November, a few dozen brave men race the vicious and bloody thirsty “water horses” in the Scorpio Races. Sean, though only 19, is a four year champion of the races, and is settled in his life. But Puck Connolly threatens to turn the island upside down when she becomes the first girl to ever compete.

Wow, this book was good. The writing was great; the point of view is split between Puck and Sean, and the author definitely gives them distinct voices. You know split POV is done well when you can tell who’s talking without having to see their names. Also, I think the characters were fully developed, and Puck and Sean were impossible not to like.

 Along with the writing, the plot was super interesting. I’ve read other books about water horses, kelpies, etc., but never portrayed in this way. I think it’s important for an author to take a different view of mythical creatures because they’ve all been so overused. So in that respect, the book was amazing.

The only little flaw I could find (hence the .2 off) was the ending. It was a good ending, don’t get me wrong, but it was very open. I’m not saying that there were loose ends or anything, but I think that, for me, I wanted just a bit more.

In conclusion, I definitely enjoyed The Scorpio Races. I would say that they are about high school age. There are several violent events and some language, but I didn’t think it was too much. Even if you’re not a huge fantasy fan, I would still give this book a try.

Thanks!

Liv

P.S. If you read this, comment below on a book you want me to review. I always need suggestions!

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park Review

4.5 out of 5 stars

This book was suggested to me, and I’m so glad I read it. It was so different than anything I’ve ever read before.

After college freshman Julie Seagle’s housing arrangements fall through, her only option is to stay in Boston with her mom’s old friend, Erin Watkins, and her family. The Watkins are eccentric, to say the least. First there’s Matt, who is nerdy and painfully socially awkward, but he’s nothing compared to 13 year old Celeste, who refuses to go anywhere without a cardboard cutout of her oldest brother, Finn. And then there is Finn himself: mysterious, attractive, strangely absent, and possibly someone Julie is falling for. As Julie becomes closer and closer with this dysfunctional family, she begins to unravel a mystery that may just tear the Watkins apart.

Wow. To say that this book is emotional is an understatement. That includes the full spectrum of laughter and anger and tears.

Julie is witty, sarcastic, and slightly vulnerably, making her instantly likeably and easy to relate to. She herself has some demons that threaten to swallow her. I guess that is one of the main things that made this book so amazing; the characterization was absolutely wonderful. Each member of the Watkins family was fleshed out and chalk full of strengths, weaknesses, and idiosyncrasies that made them distinct and full of voice and life. The romance between Finn and Julie, which mainly takes the form of Facebook messages, is funny and sweet.

Another aspect of this book that was so interesting was the psychology of it. That sounds strange, but that’s the only way I can think to put it. There are some heavy psychological issues in this story, whether from the Watkins or Julie herself, which pull you deeper into the plot. And the ending. Well, all I’ll say is that it was heartbreaking and beautiful all rolled into one.

Though I loved this book, I can only recommend it to more mature readers, maybe 15 or 16 and up. It discusses some heavy themes, and I don’t think anyone too young would be ready for it. Not that it would be inappropriate exactly, but it just isn’t a book for younger readers.

Anyway, if you’re looking for an amazing book that has the capacity to make you laugh and cry, check it out.

Thanks!

Liv

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck Review

2 out of 5 stars

This is my first, but will probably not be my last, negative review.

After 18 year old Kelsey Hayes takes a job at a circus (which sounds pretty exciting until you realize that she’s on the cleanup crew), she feels herself drawn to the mysterious white tiger who lives there, and he is extremely docile around her. When a man shows up saying that he needs to take the tiger, Ren, to a preserve in India, Kelsey is devastated. However, he also offers to bring Kelsey because she handles the tiger so well. Once Kelsey is in India, she soon realizes that neither Ren nor her job are what they seem.

Let me just preface this by saying that I was SO EXCITED to read this. I had heard so many good things about this book and it has so many good reviews. I was quickly disappointed. At first, I really liked Kelsey. She seemed cool and quirky and ready for adventure. But then everything went downhill.

 Kelsey revealed herself as a completely boring and unrealistic character, and the plot had so many holes and was so slow. Kelsey immediately, and I mean immediately, fell in love with Ren, which annoyed the heck out of me. She was rude to him and inconsiderate and so terribly weak. She literally could not do a single thing for herself. The narration is horrible. It’s in first person, which could have been really amazing if Kelsey didn’t sound like an idiot. The best way to describe it is this: the immature awkwardness of a 12 year old writing in her journal force-fed through a 50 year old woman’s brain. Which brings me to the dialogue: it was some of the most awkward, stiff dialogue I’ve ever read. All the characters sounded really similar and it just fell flat.

Another glaring problem was the pacing of the plot. The author spent so much trying to describe every little unimportant detail that I kind of wanted to scream.  When something exciting did happen, the author would fly through it in four pages, and then it was back to 15 pages of information on the texture of Kelsey’s pants, or whatever. It was a struggle to finish.

This book wasn’t completely terrible. The ideas and the setting were interesting, but they couldn’t overshadow the cliché, annoying, boring-ness of it all. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Thanks!

Liv

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak Review

5 out of 5 stars

So… I also really liked this book.

Okay, I know I said that I probably wouldn’t write reviews on popular books, and this one and Legend are both pretty popular. I debated on whether or not to write the Legend review, but I did. I, however, did not debate writing this review. This book is amazing.

The summary: It is 1939 in Nazi Germany when young Liesel and her brother are on their way to be given to foster parents by a mother who can no longer take care of them. Except Liesel’s brother dies on the train ride there, so she alone is given to Hans and Rosa Hubermann. Though Liesel is plagued by nightmares, she quickly becomes at home with her new parents and becomes best friends with the boy down the street, Rudy. However, as trouble finds the Hubermann household, Liesel’s world begins to fall apart.

This book has the most amazing, surrealist writing, and it pulls it off for one reason: it is narrated by death. The organization is jumbled; the narrator picks you up, puts you down, and picks you back up again. Generally, 3^rd person omniscient narration leaves the characters flat and the storyline slow, but this actually worked perfectly. I have read many books about WWII, but I’ve never read a book written like this one.

This book is not a fast read, and though it deals with young characters, it is a fairly mature book. I would say that it is more of a high school and up age range. Another quick warning: this book does not have a happy ending, not really, and I actually cried. I would still suggest it, especially if you love historical fiction. I know that this book has lots of good and bad reviews, but if you are looking for something deep and different, I would give it a try.

Thanks!

Liv

Legend by Marie Lu Review

4.5 out of 5 stars

Ok, so I really liked this book.

In Dystopian Western United States, two teenagers living opposite lifestyles (are destined to) meet. One, June, is a wealthy orphan who lives with her brother. She is considered the country’s prodigy and is being trained for elite levels of the military. The other, Day, is a criminal living in one of the poorest parts of the city. When June’s older brother is killed and Day is blamed, she tracks and down and captures him. However, as June begins to learn more about her brother and her government’s past, she realizes that maybe Day is the only one she can trust.

 Whew. I am getting more dramatic by the minute.

So I know that sounded like the story was mostly about June, but in all actuality the story alternates between Day and June’s point of views. I generally enjoy multiple narrators, especially between first person boy and girl. There are so many popular dystopian books out now, but this is probably one of my favorites, along with Divergent. Except this one, which is also in a trilogy, has a much better book #2 than the Divergent one.

Okay, now for the actual review. There were so many things to love about this book. Both of the characters were extremely different, but they both drew my sympathy in different ways. They had very distinct voices, which I think is often lacking in multiple POVs. Day is a little rough around the edges, but was also very vulnerable and open, if that makes sense. June, on the other hand, is polished, tight-lipped, and calculating.  They are wonderfully opposing characters. The government, like in most dystopians, plays a huge role in the book, yet it is also filled with characters who are good, bad, and in between.

Overall, I think this book was well developed and well written. It gets a bit violent at parts, and there is obviously some romance, so I would say it would be about 12 and up. A quick warning: if you are planning on reading the second book, it is more mature than the first. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a dystopian book or just one with some interesting action and conspiracy theories and that sort of thing. I loved it, and I hope you do to.

Thanks!

Liv

The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum Review

4 out of 5 stars

*This book is in a trilogy*

Just thought you should know.

A quick summary: Abby Edwards is a senior in high school, and she feels her life is, in a word, predictable. She’s had the same best friends for years, her boyfriend is literally the boy next door, she does the exact same thing for her birthday every year, and her parents expect her to go to the University of California along with everyone else she knows. Abby’s life is planned to perfection, but she secretly wishes for a little spontaneity, so when handsome and Italian Dante Alexander appears in her life, she can’t help being attracted. But Dante’s past is full of secrets, lies, and danger that Abby soon gets swept up in.

How’s that for a generic back cover summary? At first, I thought that the only reason to read this book was for the love interest, the charming Dante Alexander. I’ll be honest, the type of romance in these books kind of annoy me, which is why I deducted some points. However, these are the reasons I liked this book as much as I did: 1) The best friend, Valerie, was great, 2) The antagonists were absolutely amazing, almost to the point where I was rooting for them instead of Abby, and 3) There were some historical elements tied in.

I’m just gonna throw this out: there was time travel. If you don’t like time travel (which I usually don’t), still give this book a try. It presents a time machine as a Da Vinci invention, which is an interesting idea that I personally had not heard of.

Overall, the action, tension, and some of the characters in this book are what made it stand out from other modern fantasy/sci-fi YA romances. Reading back, I realized this sounded really critical. Just to clarify, I did enjoy the book and thought the writing was very good. I would definitely recommend it to any high schooler looking for a good romance.

Thanks!

Liv

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson Review

4.5 out of 5 stars

First, off, I would like to say that I recently started reading some of Maureen Johnson’s books and I have really enjoyed them. I like how there are random twists and the romance isn't the typical “I’ll love you forever.” That’s definitely not realistic for teenage romances. She also addresses some topics that are interesting, and, in my opinion, a lot more easy to relate to. If I had to describe all of her books in a word, I think I would choose refreshing.

So, a quick summary: Louisiana teen Rory Deveaux moves to London to go to a boarding school on the same day a brutal murder occurs. This murder marks the beginning of a series that mimic the Jack the Ripper killings over a hundred years ago. Rory thinks she sees the man who is the culprit, but she is the only one who can see him. Soon, Rory becomes involved with London’s “ghost police” while also making herself a target for the next murder.

I really, really enjoyed this book. Rory is an interesting, funny character, and her friends are well developed and feel just as important as she does. I’m a sucker for anything historical, and Maureen Johnson did an amazing job of weaving the brutal history into the plot. It was gruesome and paranormal, but it wasn't a story that made me scared to go to bed.  Rory’s romance was cute, funny, and a bit awkward. In other words, it was pretty perfect.

The thing that made me deduct some points was the ending. I don’t know if she is planning on writing a sequel, because it ended abruptly and strangely. It felt like it wasn't quite resolved, and she introduced a new topic within the last few pages. It wasn't irritating, just not very smooth.

I think that this book would be appropriate for teens of the ages 14 and up. It wasn't exactly mature, but it didn't feel directed towards a younger audience. It obviously had some violence and mild romance.

Overall, I would read this book again and recommend to anyone who is looking for an interesting read.

Thanks!
Olivia

An Introduction and My Name

The New Blog

Hello. My name is Olivia Fowler and I’m 16 years old.

So, now that we've got that out of the way, let’s establish some things about this whole blog experience.

       

Even though I have come to accept that this may only be read by my mom and some very kind friends, I will address you all as if you are a large group of people who are interested in the bookish ramblings of teenager. I’m pretty sure I used the word bookish incorrectly, but I think you get my point.

 1. Please excuse any grammatical mistakes I might. There is this thing called Microsoft Word that I depend way too much on, so if you want to blame someone, blame the program. To be perfectly honest, I've never had much of a problem with grammar or spelling, so I think that should be okay. I feel that now someone is going to point out something I did wrong and say “Ha! That girl thinks she’s a competent writer. She wouldn't know grammar if it slapped her in the face!” Okay, maybe not. But you know what I mean.
       

2. Maybe I should have included this in the previous one, but I thought it deserved its own number. There is a ridiculously good chance that I will use the word “y’all”. I’m from Texas. Y’all is a real word. If it bothers you, just let me know. I may or may not do something to change it.

3. I think those are the main general issues that I wanted to get out of the way. Now, it’s time to briefly discuss the actual reason I created this blog: books.

I love to read.  In about third grade, I realized just how amazing books were. In those wonderful, homework-free days, I would come home, find a book (usually one of my older brothers’), and devour it in one sitting. That sounded a lot weirder in print than it did in my head, but it pretty much describes my reading. I could literally just collapse on the couch and finish a book. This caused two things: a slight obsession and extreme procrastination.

I’m almost twice that age now. I’ve read a lot of books, and I have a lot to say about them.

After reaching middle school, I stopped reading books about dogs going on adventures and started reading more books about romance and “serious topics”. I still remember reaching the age when my parents stopped telling me that the books they were reading were too old for me. It was a liberating feeling, knowing than thousands of books were open to me. Except I quickly realized that being boring wasn’t the only reason I didn’t like a book, in fact, it seemed like half the books I picked up were ones that I didn’t want to finish. And that’s the problem-there are so many amazing books, but there are so many books that are just horrible. Finally, I got to the point where I had scoured every booklist my library and Google could provide. I guess I kind of still am at this point.

I have come to realize something important. Once you get to this point, the only thing left to do is discover. There is no feeling like picking up a book you’ve never heard of, reading it, and loving it. It makes you happy.

So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m here to do the discovering for you. I find the one good book out of the ten on the shelf so you don’t have to feel the disappointment of not finishing that novel with the beautiful cover. I’ll read a lot of genres, a lot of authors, and any books that you can suggest. And maybe you and I will read something amazing and think, this is real writing.

One last thing. If a book is extremely popular, I probably won’t do a review on it unless I love it or hate it. If you want to know what Divergent is like, you can find hundreds of reviews that put it more eloquently than I do.

Thanks, y’all. Thanks for taking the time to read this ridiculous introduction for something that I have wanted to do for longer than anyone realizes. You are absolutely amazing, and trust me, I mean it.

Love,

A girl who needs to stop talking now.

(Olivia)